What does it mean when the Bible says: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth”? There is a serious doctrinal difference of opinion on this, chiefly because of what we want it to say. In general what you believe about the timeframe of creation, determines your understanding of this verse. A study on how the Hebrew word for it is used in other instances in the Bible, would certainly clear up any doubts and reveal whether the translators of the Authorised Version (and in fact most other Bible versions) made a fundamental mistake in the second word of their translation of the Bible or not.


A search through the Bible for the word “beginning” yields that it appears in a 108 verses, of which 57 occurs in the Old Testament, using derivatives of two different Hebrew root words. We are particularly interested in the first, since that word is used in the first verse in the Bible.


Explained by the Strong’s Concordance, the two words used for beginning are as follow:

1. רֵאשִׁיתּ
   1. Transliteration: Re’shiyth (Ray-sheet)
   2. Noun, Feminine
   3. Meaning: the first, in place, time, order or rank (specifically, a firstfruit)
   4. Strong’s Number: H7225
   5. from רוֹאשׁ
      1. Transliteration: Ro’sh (roshe)
      2. Noun, Masculine
      3. Meaning: the head (as most easily shaken), whether literal or figurative (in many applications, of place, time, rank, etc.)
      4. Strong’s Number: H7218

 

1. תְּחִלָּה
   1. Transliteration: Tchillah (Tekh-il-law’)
   2. Noun, Feminine
   3. Meaning:
      1. a commencement
      2. rel. original (adverb, -ly)
   4. Strong’s Number: H8462
   5. from חָלַל
      1. Transliteration: Chalal (Khaw-lal')
      2. Verb
      3. Meaning:
         1. (properly) to bore
         2. (by implication) to wound, to dissolve
         3. (figuratively) to profane (a person, place or thing), to break (one's word), to begin (as if by an "opening wedge")
      4. Strong’s Number: H2490
      5. denom. (from H2485) to play (the flute)

A search for the Strong’s word code, H7225 (רֵאשִׁיתּ), brings up a result of 49, which by nature of the obvious fact that it is a Hebrew word, only appears in the Old Testament. So this particular root and its derivatives are used in 49 verses in the Bible. There are two verses where it appears twice in one verse; Deuteronomy 18:4 and Ezekiel 44:30. So it brings the total to 51 actual instances where it is used. Let us examine each one of them in the Hebrew text and compare it to the English translation of the King James Version.


To understand what we are trying to achieve in this study, let us define clearly what the problem is. Essentially the core issue here is the lack of a visible definite article in the Hebrew word. In order for the “old earth” approach to work, it is assumed that the Hebrew word, בְּרֵאשִׁית, is missing the linguistic trace of the prefixed letter ‘hey’ in order for it to be translated as “in the beginning”. This leaves the possibility that there could have been many beginnings for the earth and that בְּרֵאשִׁית only means in a beginning and not in the beginning in this case. This linguistic trace is explained below.


In his book, “A practical grammar for classical Hebrew”, Dr. J. Weingreen wrote in section B on page 28 of the second edition, the following:


When the inseparable preposition is followed by the article, e.g. ‘to the king’ (which we should expect to be לְהַמֶּ֫לֶךְ), the ה of the article (is scarcely audible and, in fact,) falls away, surrendering its vowel to the preposition, thus: לַמֶּ֫לֶךְ. In the same way, ‘to the man’ (לְהָֽאָדָם) becomes לָֽאָדָם, ‘to the darkness’ (לְהַח֫שֶׁךְ) becomes לַח֫שֶׁךְ, and ‘to the dust’ (לְהֶֽעָפָר) becomes לֶֽעָפָר.


Just as לְהַ׳ becomes לַ׳, so בְּהַ׳ becomes בַּ׳ and כְּהַ׳ becomes כַּ׳
Just as לְהָ׳ becomes לָ׳, so בְּהָ׳ becomes בָּ׳ and כְּהָ׳ becomes כָּ׳
Just as לְהֶ׳ becomes לֶ׳, so בְּהֶ׳ becomes בֶּ׳ and כְּהֶ׳ becomes כֶּ׳


So from the above mentioned rules we may deduce that for Genesis 1:1 to mean “In the beginning...” it should have said בָּרֵאשִׁית instead of בְּרֵאשִׁית. (Notice the different vowels used for the ב, the first letter of the word. Qamets instead of sheva.) However, looking at the normal usage of the word רֵאשִׁית, it is found to be generally used in the Bible as if it already contains the definite article, although hidden in this same particular way as in Genesis 1:1. Be aware that it is not always translated as beginning, but sometimes rather into a comparable word, appropriate for that particular instance.


Note also very carefully in the study below that in all of the 17 times where Moses used this word’s derivatives (i.e. in the first five books of the Bible), it is never with the definite article in Hebrew, but always translated with it in English.


Verses without the definite article but translated with the definite article:

בראשית 1:1 בְּרֵאשִׁית בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אֵת הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֵת הָאָֽרֶץ׃
Genesis 1:1 In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.

בראשית 10:10 וַתְּהִי רֵאשִׁית מַמְלַכְתֹּו בָּבֶל וְאֶרֶךְ וְאַכַּד וְכַלְנֵה בְּאֶרֶץ שִׁנְעָֽר׃
Genesis 10:10 And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

בראשית 49:3 רְאוּבֵן בְּכֹרִי אַתָּה כֹּחִי וְרֵאשִׁית אֹונִי יֶתֶר שְׂאֵת וְיֶתֶר עָֽז׃
Genesis 49:3 Reuben, thou art my firstborn, my might, and the beginning of my strength, the excellency of dignity, and the excellency of power:

שמות 23:19 רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹֽא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמֹּֽו׃ ס
Exodus 23:19 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

שמות 34:26 רֵאשִׁית בִּכּוּרֵי אַדְמָתְךָ תָּבִיא בֵּית יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לֹא־תְבַשֵּׁל גְּדִי בַּחֲלֵב אִמֹּֽו׃ פ
Exodus 34:26 The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring unto the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

ויקרא 2:12 קָרְבַּן רֵאשִׁית תַּקְרִיבוּ אֹתָם לַיהוָה וְאֶל־הַמִּזְבֵּחַ לֹא־יַעֲלוּ לְרֵיחַ נִיחֹֽחַ׃
Leviticus 2:12 As for the oblation of the firstfruits, ye shall offer them unto the LORD: but they shall not be burnt on the altar for a sweet savour.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. them, they).]

ויקרא 23:10 דַּבֵּר אֶל־בְּנֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל וְאָמַרְתָּ אֲלֵהֶם כִּֽי־תָבֹאוּ אֶל־הָאָרֶץ אֲשֶׁר אֲנִי נֹתֵן לָכֶם וּקְצַרְתֶּם אֶת־קְצִירָהּ וַהֲבֵאתֶם אֶת־עֹמֶר רֵאשִׁית קְצִירְכֶם אֶל־הַכֹּהֵֽן׃
Leviticus 23:10 Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye be come into the land which I give unto you, and shall reap the harvest thereof, then ye shall bring a sheaf of the firstfruits of your harvest unto the priest:
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. reap the harvest thereof, a sheaf of, of your harvest).]

במדבר 15:20 רֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵכֶם חַלָּה תָּרִימוּ תְרוּמָה כִּתְרוּמַת גֹּרֶן כֵּן תָּרִימוּ אֹתָֽהּ׃
Numbers 15:20 Ye shall offer up a cake of the first of your dough for an heave offering: as ye do the heave offering of the threshingfloor, so shall ye heave it.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

במדבר 15:21 מֵרֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹתֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ לַיהוָה תְּרוּמָה לְדֹרֹתֵיכֶֽם׃ ס
Numbers 15:21 Of the first of your dough ye shall give unto the LORD an heave offering in your generations.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

במדבר 18:12 כֹּל חֵלֶב יִצְהָר וְכָל־חֵלֶב תִּירֹושׁ וְדָגָן רֵאשִׁיתָם אֲשֶׁר־יִתְּנוּ לַֽיהוָה לְךָ נְתַתִּֽים׃
Numbers 18:12 All the best of the oil, and all the best of the wine, and of the wheat, the firstfruits of them which they shall offer unto the LORD, them have I given thee.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. of them, they).]

במדבר 24:20 וַיַּרְא אֶת־עֲמָלֵק וַיִּשָּׂא מְשָׁלֹו וַיֹּאמַר רֵאשִׁית גֹּויִם עֲמָלֵק וְאַחֲרִיתֹו עֲדֵי אֹבֵֽד׃
Numbers 24:20 And when he looked on Amalek, he took up his parable, and said, Amalek was the first of the nations; but his latter end shall be that he perish for ever.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

דברים 11:12 אֶרֶץ אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ דֹּרֵשׁ אֹתָהּ תָּמִיד עֵינֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בָּהּ מֵֽרֵשִׁית הַשָּׁנָה וְעַד אַחֲרִית שָׁנָֽה׃ ס
Deuteronomy 11:12 A land which the LORD thy God careth for: the eyes of the LORD thy God are always upon it, from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year.

דברים 18:4 רֵאשִׁית דְּגָֽנְךָ תִּֽירֹשְׁךָ וְיִצְהָרֶךָ וְרֵאשִׁית גֵּז צֹאנְךָ תִּתֶּן־לֹּֽו׃
Deuteronomy 18:4 The firstfruit also of thy corn, of thy wine, and of thine oil, and the first of the fleece of thy sheep, shalt thou give him.
[Occurring twice in this verse, not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruit to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

דברים 21:17 כִּי אֶת־הַבְּכֹר בֶּן־הַשְּׂנוּאָה יַכִּיר לָתֶת לֹו פִּי שְׁנַיִם בְּכֹל אֲשֶׁר־יִמָּצֵא לֹו כִּי־הוּא רֵאשִׁית אֹנֹו לֹו מִשְׁפַּט הַבְּכֹרָֽה׃ ס
Deuteronomy 21:17 But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.

דברים 26:2 וְלָקַחְתָּ מֵרֵאשִׁית ׀ כָּל־פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר תָּבִיא מֵֽאַרְצְךָ אֲשֶׁר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵן לָךְ וְשַׂמְתָּ בַטֶּנֶא וְהָֽלַכְתָּ אֶל־הַמָּקֹום אֲשֶׁר יִבְחַר יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לְשַׁכֵּן שְׁמֹו שָֽׁם׃
Deuteronomy 26:2 That thou shalt take of the first of all the fruit of the earth, which thou shalt bring of thy land that the LORD thy God giveth thee, and shalt put it in a basket, and shalt go unto the place which the LORD thy God shall choose to place his name there.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

דברים 26:10 וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה הֵבֵאתִי אֶת־רֵאשִׁית פְּרִי הָאֲדָמָה אֲשֶׁר־נָתַתָּה לִּי יְהוָה וְהִנַּחְתֹּו לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ וְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוִיתָ לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃
Deuteronomy 26:10 And now, behold, I have brought the firstfruits of the land, which thou, O LORD, hast given me. And thou shalt set it before the LORD thy God, and worship before the LORD thy God:
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first (note the separate Hebrew word for fruits) to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

דברים 33:21 וַיַּרְא רֵאשִׁית לֹו כִּי־שָׁם חֶלְקַת מְחֹקֵק סָפוּן וַיֵּתֵא רָאשֵׁי עָם צִדְקַת יְהוָה עָשָׂה וּמִשְׁפָּטָיו עִם־יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃ ס
Deuteronomy 33:21 And he provided the first part for himself, because there, in a portion of the lawgiver, was he seated; and he came with the heads of the people, he executed the justice of the LORD, and his judgments with Israel.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

שמואל א 2:29 לָמָּה תִבְעֲטוּ בְּזִבְחִי וּבְמִנְחָתִי אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתִי מָעֹון וַתְּכַבֵּד אֶת־בָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי לְהַבְרִֽיאֲכֶם מֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־מִנְחַת יִשְׂרָאֵל לְעַמִּֽי׃
1 Samuel 2:29 Wherefore kick ye at my sacrifice and at mine offering, which I have commanded in my habitation; and honourest thy sons above me, to make yourselves fat with the chiefest of all the offerings of Israel my people?
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chiefest to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

שמואל א 15:21 וַיִּקַּח הָעָם מֵהַשָּׁלָל צֹאן וּבָקָר רֵאשִׁית הַחֵרֶם לִזְבֹּחַ לַֽיהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ בַּגִּלְגָּֽל׃
1 Samuel 15:21 But the people took of the spoil, sheep and oxen, the chief of the things which should have been utterly destroyed, to sacrifice unto the LORD thy God in Gilgal.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

דברי הימים ב 31:5 וְכִפְרֹץ הַדָּבָר הִרְבּוּ בְנֵֽי־יִשְׂרָאֵל רֵאשִׁית דָּגָן תִּירֹושׁ וְיִצְהָר וּדְבַשׁ וְכֹל תְּבוּאַת שָׂדֶה וּמַעְשַׂר הַכֹּל לָרֹב הֵבִֽיאוּ׃
2 Chronicles 31:5 And as soon as the commandment came abroad, the children of Israel brought in abundance the firstfruits of corn, wine, and oil, and honey, and of all the increase of the field; and the tithe of all things brought they in abundantly.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. and of all, and the tithe of all).]

איוב 40:19 הוּא רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֵי־אֵל הָעֹשֹׂו יַגֵּשׁ חַרְבֹּֽו׃
Job 40:19 He is the chief of the ways of God: he that made him can make his sword to approach unto him.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

תהלים 78:51 וַיַּךְ כָּל־בְּכֹור בְּמִצְרָיִם רֵאשִׁית אֹונִים בְּאָהֳלֵי־חָֽם׃
Psalms 78:51 And smote all the firstborn in Egypt; the chief of their strength in the tabernacles of Ham:
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

תהלים 105:36 וַיַּךְ כָּל־בְּכֹור בְּאַרְצָם רֵאשִׁית לְכָל־אֹונָֽם׃
Psalms 105:36 He smote also all the firstborn in their land, the chief of all their strength.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

תהלים 111:10 רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה ׀ יִרְאַת יְהוָה שֵׂכֶל טֹוב לְכָל־עֹשֵׂיהֶם תְּהִלָּתֹו עֹמֶדֶת לָעַֽד׃
Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.

משלי 1:7 יִרְאַת יְהוָה רֵאשִׁית דָּעַת חָכְמָה וּמוּסָר אֱוִילִים בָּֽזוּ׃ פ
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.

משלי 3:9 כַּבֵּד אֶת־יְהוָה מֵהֹונֶךָ וּמֵרֵאשִׁית כָּל־תְּבוּאָתֶֽךָ׃
Proverbs 3:9 Honour the LORD with thy substance, and with the firstfruits of all thine increase:
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. them, they).]

משלי 4:7 רֵאשִׁית חָכְמָה קְנֵה חָכְמָה וּבְכָל־קִנְיָנְךָ קְנֵה בִינָֽה׃
Proverbs 4:7 Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as principal to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

משלי 8:22 יְֽהוָה קָנָנִי רֵאשִׁית דַּרְכֹּו קֶדֶם מִפְעָלָיו מֵאָֽז׃
Proverbs 8:22 The LORD possessed me in the beginning of his way, before his works of old.

משלי 17:14 פֹּוטֵֽר מַיִם רֵאשִׁית מָדֹון וְלִפְנֵי הִתְגַּלַּע הָרִיב נְטֹֽושׁ׃
Proverbs 17:14 The beginning of strife is as when one letteth out water: therefore leave off contention, before it be meddled with.

ישעיה 46:10 מַגִּיד מֵֽרֵאשִׁית אַחֲרִית וּמִקֶּדֶם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־נַעֲשׂוּ אֹמֵר עֲצָתִי תָקוּם וְכָל־חֶפְצִי אֶעֱשֶֽׂה׃
Isaiah 46:10 Declaring the end from the beginning, and from ancient times the things that are not yet done, saying, My counsel shall stand, and I will do all my pleasure:

ירמיה 2:3 קֹדֶשׁ יִשְׂרָאֵל לַיהוָה רֵאשִׁית תְּבוּאָתֹה כָּל־אֹכְלָיו יֶאְשָׁמוּ רָעָה תָּבֹא אֲלֵיהֶם נְאֻם־יְהוָֽה׃ פ
Jeremiah 2:3 Israel was holiness unto the LORD, and the firstfruits of his increase: all that devour him shall offend; evil shall come upon them, saith the LORD.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. of his increase).]

ירמיה 26:1 בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלְכוּת יְהֹויָקִים בֶּן־יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 26:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word from the LORD, saying,
[Usage here is exactly the same as in the first verse of the Bible and in this instance only the translation of it with the definite article would make any sense at all.]

ירמיה 27:1 בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת יְהֹויָקִם בֶּן־יֹאושִׁיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הָיָה הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָה מֵאֵת יְהוָה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 27:1 In the beginning of the reign of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah came this word unto Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
[Usage here is exactly the same as in the first verse of the Bible and in this instance only the translation of it with the definite article would make any sense at all.]

ירמיה 28:1 וַיְהִי ׀ בַּשָּׁנָה הַהִיא בְּרֵאשִׁית מַמְלֶכֶת צִדְקִיָּה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה [בִּשְׁנַת כ] (בַּשָּׁנָה ק) הָֽרְבִעִית בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַחֲמִישִׁי אָמַר אֵלַי חֲנַנְיָה בֶן־עַזּוּר הַנָּבִיא אֲשֶׁר מִגִּבְעֹון בְּבֵית יְהוָה לְעֵינֵי הַכֹּהֲנִים וְכָל־הָעָם לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 28:1 And it came to pass the same year, in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the fourth year, and in the fifth month, that Hananiah the son of Azur the prophet, which was of Gibeon, spake unto me in the house of the LORD, in the presence of the priests and of all the people, saying,
[Usage here is exactly the same as in the first verse of the Bible and in this instance only the translation of it with the definite article would make any sense at all.]

ירמיה 49:34 אֲשֶׁר הָיָה דְבַר־יְהוָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־עֵילָם בְּרֵאשִׁית מַלְכוּת צִדְקִיָּה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹֽר׃
Jeremiah 49:34 The word of the LORD that came to Jeremiah the prophet against Elam in the beginning of the reign of Zedekiah king of Judah, saying,
[Usage here is exactly the same as in the first verse of the Bible and in this instance only the translation of it with the definite article would make any sense at all.]

ירמיה 49:35 כֹּה אָמַר יְהוָה צְבָאֹות הִנְנִי שֹׁבֵר אֶת־קֶשֶׁת עֵילָם רֵאשִׁית גְּבוּרָתָֽם׃
Jeremiah 49:35 Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Behold, I will break the bow of Elam, the chief of their might.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

יחזקאל 44:30 וְרֵאשִׁית כָּל־בִּכּוּרֵי כֹל וְכָל־תְּרוּמַת כֹּל מִכֹּל תְּרוּמֹותֵיכֶם לַכֹּהֲנִים יִֽהְיֶה וְרֵאשִׁית עֲרִסֹֽותֵיכֶם תִּתְּנוּ לַכֹּהֵן לְהָנִיחַ בְּרָכָה אֶל־בֵּיתֶֽךָ׃
Ezekiel 44:30 And the first of all the firstfruits of all things, and every oblation of all, of every sort of your oblations, shall be the priest's: ye shall also give unto the priest the first of your dough, that he may cause the blessing to rest in thine house.
[Occurring twice in this verse, not translated as beginning but rather wisely as first to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

יחזקאל 48:14 וְלֹא־יִמְכְּרוּ מִמֶּנּוּ וְלֹא יָמֵר וְלֹא [יַעֲבוּר כ] (יַעֲבִיר ק) רֵאשִׁית הָאָרֶץ כִּי־קֹדֶשׁ לַיהוָֽה׃
Ezekiel 48:14 And they shall not sell of it, neither exchange, nor alienate the firstfruits of the land: for it is holy unto the LORD.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. of the land: for it is holy).]

דניאל 11:41 וּבָא בְּאֶרֶץ הַצְּבִי וְרַבֹּות יִכָּשֵׁלוּ וְאֵלֶּה יִמָּלְטוּ מִיָּדֹו אֱדֹום וּמֹואָב וְרֵאשִׁית בְּנֵי עַמֹּֽון׃
Daniel 11:41 He shall enter also into the glorious land, and many countries shall be overthrown: but these shall escape out of his hand, even Edom, and Moab, and the chief of the children of Ammon.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

עמוס 6:6 הַשֹּׁתִים בְּמִזְרְקֵי יַיִן וְרֵאשִׁית שְׁמָנִים יִמְשָׁחוּ וְלֹא נֶחְלוּ עַל־שֵׁבֶר יֹוסֵֽף׃
Amos 6:6 That drink wine in bowls, and anoint themselves with the chief ointments: but they are not grieved for the affliction of Joseph.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article.]

מיכה 1:13 רְתֹם הַמֶּרְכָּבָה לָרֶכֶשׁ יֹושֶׁבֶת לָכִישׁ רֵאשִׁית חַטָּאת הִיא לְבַת־צִיֹּון כִּי־בָךְ נִמְצְאוּ פִּשְׁעֵי יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Micah 1:13 O thou inhabitant of Lachish, bind the chariot to the swift beast: she is the beginning of the sin to the daughter of Zion: for the transgressions of Israel were found in thee.

Verses with the definite article ‘hidden’ and translated with the definite article:

נחמיה 10:38 וְאֶת־רֵאשִׁית עֲרִיסֹתֵינוּ וּתְרוּמֹתֵינוּ וּפְרִי כָל־עֵץ תִּירֹושׁ וְיִצְהָר נָבִיא לַכֹּהֲנִים אֶל־לִשְׁכֹות בֵּית־אֱלֹהֵינוּ וּמַעְשַׂר אַדְמָתֵנוּ לַלְוִיִּם וְהֵם הַלְוִיִּם הַֽמְעַשְּׂרִים בְּכֹל עָרֵי עֲבֹדָתֵֽנוּ׃
Nehemiah 10:37 And that we should bring the firstfruits of our dough, and our offerings, and the fruit of all manner of trees, of wine and of oil, unto the priests, to the chambers of the house of our God; and the tithes of our ground unto the Levites, that the same Levites might have the tithes in all the cities of our tillage.
[This example does contain a trace of a definite article in a sense, because of the Hebrew word אֶת before רֵאשִׁית. It is the preposition used before a direct object. So the word firstfruits here could not be translated without the definite article, yet it also need to be plural since it points not only to one fruit offered first of all, but the general offering of all the firstfruits. Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. of our dough, and our offerings, etc.). Note as well that the verse numbering differ here between the two texts for referential purposes.]

איוב 8:7 וְהָיָה רֵאשִׁיתְךָ מִצְעָר וְאַחֲרִיתְךָ יִשְׂגֶּה מְאֹֽד׃
Job 8:7 Though thy beginning was small, yet thy latter end should greatly increase.
[Not translated with the definite article yet it clearly contains the definite article ‘hidden’ since it evidently refers to the only one beginning Job could have. Not multiple beginnings or one of multiple beginnings.]

איוב 42:12 וַֽיהוָה בֵּרַךְ אֶת־אַחֲרִית אִיֹּוב מֵרֵאשִׁתֹו וַֽיְהִי־לֹו אַרְבָּעָה עָשָׂר אֶלֶף צֹאן וְשֵׁשֶׁת אֲלָפִים גְּמַלִּים וְאֶֽלֶף־צֶמֶד בָּקָר וְאֶלֶף אֲתֹונֹֽות׃
Job 42:12 So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.
[Not translated with the definite article yet it clearly contains the definite article ‘hidden’ since it evidently refers to the only one beginning Job could have. Not multiple beginnings or one of multiple beginnings.]

יחזקאל 20:40 כִּי בְהַר־קָדְשִׁי בְּהַר ׀ מְרֹום יִשְׂרָאֵל נְאֻם אֲדֹנָי יְהוִה שָׁם יַעַבְדֻנִי כָּל־בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵל כֻּלֹּה בָּאָרֶץ שָׁם אֶרְצֵם וְשָׁם אֶדְרֹושׁ אֶת־תְּרוּמֹֽתֵיכֶם וְאֶת־רֵאשִׁית מַשְׂאֹותֵיכֶם בְּכָל־קָדְשֵׁיכֶֽם׃
Ezekiel 20:40 For in mine holy mountain, in the mountain of the height of Israel, saith the Lord GOD, there shall all the house of Israel, all of them in the land, serve me: there will I accept them, and there will I require your offerings, and the firstfruits of your oblations, with all your holy things.
[This example does contain a trace of a definite article in a sense, because of the Hebrew word אֶת before רֵאשִׁית. It is the preposition used before a direct object. So the word firstfruits here could not be translated without the definite article, yet it also need to be plural since it points not only to one fruit offered first of all, but the general offering of all the firstfruits. Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context, yet still with the definite article. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. of your oblations).]

הושע 9:10 כַּעֲנָבִים בַּמִּדְבָּר מָצָאתִי יִשְׂרָאֵל כְּבִכּוּרָה בִתְאֵנָה בְּרֵאשִׁיתָהּ רָאִיתִי אֲבֹֽותֵיכֶם הֵמָּה בָּאוּ בַֽעַל־פְּעֹור וַיִּנָּֽזְרוּ לַבֹּשֶׁת וַיִּהְיוּ שִׁקּוּצִים כְּאָהֳבָֽם׃
Hosea 9:10 I found Israel like grapes in the wilderness; I saw your fathers as the firstripe in the fig tree at her first time: but they went to Baalpeor, and separated themselves unto that shame; and their abominations were according as they loved.
[Not translated with the definite article yet it clearly contains the definite article ‘hidden’ since it evidently refers to the only one beginning Israel, the fig tree, could have. Not multiple beginnings or one of multiple beginnings.]

Verses with the definite article and translated with the definite article:

נחמיה 12:44 וַיִּפָּקְדוּ בַיֹּום הַהוּא אֲנָשִׁים עַל־הַנְּשָׁכֹות לָאֹוצָרֹות לַתְּרוּמֹות לָרֵאשִׁית וְלַמַּֽעַשְׂרֹות לִכְנֹוס בָּהֶם לִשְׂדֵי הֶעָרִים מְנָאֹות הַתֹּורָה לַכֹּהֲנִים וְלַלְוִיִּם כִּי שִׂמְחַת יְהוּדָה עַל־הַכֹּהֲנִים וְעַל־הַלְוִיִּם הָעֹמְדִֽים׃
Nehemiah 12:44 And at that time were some appointed over the chambers for the treasures, for the offerings, for the firstfruits, and for the tithes, to gather into them out of the fields of the cities the portions of the law for the priests and Levites: for Judah rejoiced for the priests and for the Levites that waited.
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as firstfruits to make sense of the context. Notice the use also of the plural here to fit in with the rest of the verse (i.e. the portions of the law for the priests and Levites).]

קהלת 7:8 טֹוב אַחֲרִית דָּבָר מֵֽרֵאשִׁיתֹו טֹוב אֶֽרֶךְ־רוּחַ מִגְּבַהּ־רֽוּחַ׃
Ecclesiastes 7:8 Better is the end of a thing than the beginning thereof: and the patient in spirit is better than the proud in spirit.

Verses without the definite article and translated without the definite article:

עמוס 6:1 הֹוי הַשַּׁאֲנַנִּים בְּצִיֹּון וְהַבֹּטְחִים בְּהַר שֹׁמְרֹון נְקֻבֵי רֵאשִׁית הַגֹּויִם וּבָאוּ לָהֶם בֵּית יִשְׂרָאֵֽל׃
Amos 6:1 Woe to them that are at ease in Zion, and trust in the mountain of Samaria, which are named chief of the nations, to whom the house of Israel came!
[Not translated as beginning but rather wisely as chief to make sense of the context. The reason for this particular translation of it might be due to the fact that ‘them that are at ease in Zion’ are plural and they collectively ‘are named chief of the nations’. If you had it translated with the definite article it would more correctly be referring to a singular person instead of a group of people.]

Conclusion:

Amos 6:1 is really the only verse of all 51 to be translated in the way of the multiple beginnings argument for Genesis 1:1, and it can be seen that there is a good explanation of why it deviates from the manner set by the other verses. Comparing these verses does clearly show though that viewing the basic meaning of רֵאשִׁית as ‘beginning’ (in effect implying ‘the beginning’) is by far the norm, rather than the exception, and to interpret Genesis 1:1 in the ‘a beginning’ way would honestly be going against all the other similar usages of it and therefore be incorrect.

A verse such as Exodus 20:11 also shows that every created thing such as Heaven and earth and all created things in them, were in fact created in those very six 24 hour days when the earth were created. It would therefore include all of the angels as well.
Exodus 20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Edited from various sources by W. R. Meyer

Isaac Edward Salkinson, later ordained a Presbyterian minister in Glasgow, Scotland, was born in 1820 into a strict orthodox family in Wilna, Lithuania. He was taught to read the Hebrew Bible by the age of four. However his father, Solomon Salkind, passed away while he was still a child and then seven years later his mother also died. He then planned to move to the United States of America to study under a prominent rabbi. On his way he passed through London where he met some of the agents of the London Missionary Society, who presented him with a New Testament and gave him some Christian instruction. He mentioned in a brief autobiography in, The Memoirs of Gospel Triumphs among the Jews, published in 1894 for the Jubilee of the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews, that it was a Hebrew translation. By this means he was led to Christ, and then to confess his faith in Him by baptism. According to a letter of his to Rev. John Dunlop, he was married to a certain lady whom Professor Delitzsch, in the Expositor, names as, Mrs. Henrietta Salkinson.

He became a student in 1849 of the British Society’s College for four years. And they, due to some doctrinal views of his, did not employ him at first. Only after about eight months were these differences satisfactorily settled, and he became a Jewish Missionary for the Jewish Society in Scotland, called “The Friend of Israel,” which was soon incorporated into the United Presbyterian Church. Subsequently he became their missionary while also studying at the Divinity Hall in Edinburgh, till 1859, when he was ordained a Presbyterian minister in Glasgow. A short hiatus in his ministry followed between 1862 and 1864 “in consequence of family affliction.”

His missionary work required of him to write treatises to his fellow Jews and ever since he read that first New Testament, he felt the need for a version in idiomatic Hebrew. Therefore he translated the Epistle to the Romans as soon as he was able to read the Greek of the New Testament. This was published in 1853 according to his autobiographical sketch in the Memoirs of Gospel triumphs among the Jews. Professor Franz Delitzsch remarked that “in April, 1855, an attempt had already been made by Salkinson to produce a new translation of the New Testament. A specimen of such a rendering was published under the title, The Epistle of Paul the Apostle to the Romans translated into Hebrew. I gave expression to my opinion of it in my monograph of 1870, entitled, Paulus des Apostels Brief an die Römer in das Hebräische uebersetzt und aus Talmud un Midrasch erläutert.” Salkinson also translated classical pieces into Hebrew as practice and as missionary material. According to an account by Prof. Delitzsch they became acquainted with one another in 1870, when they met at a conference of missionaries and friends of the Jewish Mission.

At the beginning of 1876, Mr. Salkinson removed from Pressburg, (modern day Bratislava in Slovakia) to Vienna in Austria, there he preached the Gospel to the Jews who first settled there in the year of our Lord 1156, and in 1877, he “undertook the work with delight” of translating the New Testament into Hebrew at the behest of the British Society’s Committee. (They at first desired him to write a Talmudic Christology, but he answered that he would prefer, first to make a new Hebrew version of the New Testament.) He wrote that “when the work is accomplished and published, it will be seen that my labours as a Jewish missionary have not been in vain in the Lord. This was the year in which also the first complete edition of Delitzsch’s Hebrew New Testament was published by the British and Foreign Bible Society, consisting of 2,500 copies. Writing from 35, Reivner [Reisner?] St., Landstrasse, Vienna, on June 11th, 1877, he addressed Prof. Delitzsch and requested his opinion on the work done in a specimen of what was evidently at least the first chapter of the book of Romans.

It was finally published posthumously under the title הברית החדשה (Ha-Be-rit ha-Chada-shah, that is being interpreted, The New Testament). He was unable to complete the translational work, and in a letter to Mr. Dunlop of the British Society for the Propagation of the Gospel among the Jews, dated December 10th, 1881, he mentions that the Gospels and the Acts of the Apostles were still unaccomplished. However he does write in April of 1882 that “My Hebrew Version of the New Testament is now ready for publication.” (More on the completion of this Testament later.)


In another letter, dated November 3rd, 1882, he writes to Mr. Dunlop the following. “As to the Hebrew New Testament, the translation was a hard task, but a labour of love. Properly speaking, it is the work of the Society, since it was a part of my Mission for which I was sustained by them. It would be well to have it published and make use of it.” And we learn from his letter on the 27th of January 1883 to the same man, that he had some problem with his eyes at that point and that “a Jew who professes to love me on the one side and hate me on the other, said to me the other day, your suffering in the eyes is a due punishment for your work (nightly reading and writing) on the New Testament, with which you are going to dim the light of Israel. I replied, if my present dimness has been caused by that work, I am comforted with the hope that that work will enlighten many an eye in Israel.”

In the same letter he also writes of Mr. Ethelbert William Bullinger, the Secretary of the Trinitarian Bible Society [TBS], approaching him about the possibility of them publishing his Hebrew version of the New Testament. Furthermore in February, 1883 he responded to Mr. Dunlop that “I do not intend to sell my MS. [manuscript] and copyright, but to give it away freely. The British Society maintains me; and it was for them I accomplished the work, and this the more so in loving obedience to my covenant Lord and Master who helped me to execute it; for a testimony to, and for the good of, the Jewish people. My work is the Lord’s and I would not like to sell it for money. If the Trinitarian Bible Society take it up of their own free will, and make me some present, I shall gratefully accept it, but not as a price.

Salkinson wrote on 15th of March, 1883 that his sight was better and that Professor Delitzsch was strongly in favour of the publication of Mr. Salkinson’s New Testament. He was informed by Bullinger that the TBS would publish the New Testament on his terms. Dr. Bullinger, now having obtained the doctorate for his Greek into English lexicon, also suggested four passages where he should render the text differently. Mr. Salkinson was reluctant though to accept this advice which he deemed differing from his sources and therefore requested that inquiries be made from reliable quarters into Dr. Bullinger’s Greek knowledge. He then states “it is right here to express myself, that the principal object of my version is not to make improvements in the rendering of the sense, but to render the sense as understood by the best authorities, in a more intelligible, more idiomatic way than the other Hebrew versions. Now if Dr. B. be a scholar and an authority, I shall be delighted in some doubtful passages to follow him.”


According to some unverified sources and also Prof. Delitzsch from page 139 in The Expositor, 3rd Series, Vol. IX, 1889, Mr. Salkinson died before completing the work. He had prepared the first draught of it and only the Acts of the Apostles had not been completed. He passed away on the 5th of June, 1883, at Vienna. After Prof. Delitzsch wrote to offer assistance to his widow, she replied on the June 14th, 1883, amongst other things that her husbands desire for his version of the New Testament was not for it to be a rival of Delitzsch’s but complimentary to it. Delitzsch wrote also that he “shall be greatly delighted if Salkinson’s translation should obtain numerous Jewish readers, and should be the means of leading many to the conviction that Jesus Christ is Israel’s noblest son, the holiest and divinest Man and the Servant of the Lord, who has offered Himself up for His people and for the whole world of sinners; and I consider it a providential circumstance, a gracious dispensation of my God, that the new translation has appeared before my departure.” He mentioned that he had received from it a new impulse in the revision of his own work, and then went on to speak of his 9th edition with corrections in 32mo size [tricesimo-secondo, that is 3.5 inches by 5.5 inches] which recently appeared. This was also to be followed by his 10th edition as a brand new translation, not merely a revision.

Doctor Christian David Ginsburg [more about him in the article, The History of The Ginsburg Hebrew Tanakh] then completed and published the work in Vienna in 1886. A later edition of the Salkinson-Ginsburg New Testament text was digitalised at some point and a BibleWorks edition copyrighted to 1999 is currently available, although the initial 2012 revision can also be found as an unofficial module for other software such as theWord and E-Sword. At the time of this publication, the Society for Distributing Hebrew Scriptures [SDHS] publishes the 2012/2013 edition as a bilingual text in hardback form, of which the aim is to give to every Jewish household completely free of any charge along with a Ginsburg edition of the Tanakh.

Editorial note: It must be said that I cannot find what or who these sources and authorities are which Mr. Salkinson used, although I suspect something along the lines of the sources of the Westcott and Hort critical edition. The Westcott and Hort text was only published in 1881, by which time the Salkinson version might have been almost complete. The text of an edition printed by “Hofbuchdruckerei Carl Fromme in Wien” in the year 1891 does deviate from the traditional Textus Receptus [Received Text] in certain places following the critical manuscripts. Some notable instances found while perusing the text are these:

• Contrary to all Greek manuscript evidence, Acts 8:32 follows the Tanakh in placing the Lamb first to the slaughter and the Sheep before her shearers (feminine and plural) second as is also found in Isaiah 53:7. The Textus Receptus has the Sheep first to the slaughter and the Lamb before his shearer (masculine and singular) second. [Note that in the Scriptures in general, Greek New Testament quotes are slightly different from their Hebrew Tanakh sources. This is purely a complimentary and explanatory feature written into the Biblical Scripture by it’s Omniscient Author, as will be understood once one study theses passages carefully. Note that Delitzsch however followed the same route as Salkinson in this case.]
• One can safely assume that the ‘scholarly discoveries’ of the day did have some influence on the final work, although it is not clear which sources was used. For example the word quickly is omitted in Revelation 2:5.
• The verses usually cast under doubt is also missing in the 1891 edition, such as for example Matthew 18:11 and John 17:21, but have the text in footnotes.

We do not know what type of editing Dr. Ginsburg made, but since it’s understood from various sources that he translated at least the final part of Acts; and since, typical of critical edition New Testaments, the 1891 edition omits Acts 28:29, it may lead us to assume that he at least followed the critical sources in his own work. He might therefore during the mid-1880’s have taken some influence from the recently published Westcott and Hort Greek New Testament before publishing the Salkinson-Ginsburg edition.

It is also not clear what the extent or direction of Dr. Bullinger’s influence was although it can be seen that his own notes in the Companion Bible was definitely influenced by the critical editions and manuscripts. Even so he retained the Textus Receptus through means of his own edition of the Authorised Version in the text. Thus as far as Mr. Salkinson’s sources go, the works by Johann Jakob Griesbach and Karl Lachmann were available as well as the Greek New Testament of Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, published 1857. Then there was also the work of Constantine Tischendorf, such as parts of his Greek Testament’s 8th edition. These might be fair educated guesses as to have formed part of his sources. On page 263 of The Expositor, edited by William Robertson Nicoll, Third Series Volume III, 1886, Professor Samuel Rolles Driver starts to offer some sharp criticism up to page 275, even though according to him, “ability, skill, delicacy of touch, must be frankly and gratefully acknowledged”. Prof. Driver is known to many of us from A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, more commonly known as the Brown-Driver-Briggs or BDB lexicon.

Some revision work was done in the past by some men on the request of the SDHS to bring it closer to the Textus Receptus, yet endeavouring to keep the classical Hebrew it was translated in. I have not studied earlier editions, but in general the versions from 1999 onwards agrees with the Textus Receptus, with the latest revision done in 2012 with a handful of final changes in 2013.

• For instance in an edition published by the SDHS, copyrighted the year 1966, it speaks of God being manifest in the flesh in 1 Timothy 3:16, whereas the Delitzsch version used by BibleWorks version 9 in this year, 2017 says, Who was manifest in the flesh.
• It mentions he that loveth not his brother, whereas Delitzsch left out his brother in 1 John 3:14.
• You will also be glad to know that you will indeed find the strongest verse on the Holy Trinity in the Bible in 1 John 5:7 when you read that beautiful epistle, whereas in the 1891 edition it is omitted.
• In the later Salkinson’s, 1 John 5:13 also closes off with; “and that ye may believe on the name of the Son of God” which the Delitzsch and the 1891 Salkinson omit.

It needs to be said though in these comparisons that there are Delitzsch revisions available which are closer to the Textus Receptus than the one used in BibleWorks 9, but that this very edition might actually bear closer to the Professor’s original translation of the text. For instance the TBS has, from what I could tell by looking at their 1998 edition of Delitzsch, corrected these problem passages.